Brief Encounters
by Juana Sahara
Summary: Anne gets a few unexpected visits while teaching at Kingsport Ladies College. Based on both the movies and the books. Reviews and comments are always appreciated.
1. The Visit

Chapter 1: The Visit

The autumn leaves had just turned their shades of yellow and orange, and it reminded Anne of how pretty the island was at this time of year. It was just another day at Kingsport Ladies College, and the English class was going more smoothly than ever. This worried Anne, since she had been the victim of pranks since the opening of the school year. The mastermind behind these pranks, a fourteen-year-old girl with attitude and thick black curls, was absent from school today, and so was this mischief that came with her. Without Jen Pringle - their ringleader - the rest of the class was much more manageable. However the silence seemed to penetrating, like the calm at the eye of the storm. Nonetheless Anne sighed and continued class. "Emmeline will you please continue to read." And the girl with the poker straight brown hair and wire rim glasses stood from her desk and began to read from her book.

Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard,  
And he tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred;  
He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there  
But the landlord's black-eyed daughter,  
Bess, the landlord's daughter,  
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.

As Emmeline read, Anne paced at the front of the room looking at the words in on the page. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the words. The students noticed this and waited for the right moment.

And dark in the dark old inn-yard a stable-wicket creaked  
Where Tim the ostler listened; his face was white and peaked;  
His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like mouldy hay,  
But he loved the landlord's daughter,  
The landlord's red-lipped daughter,  
Dumb as a dog he listened, and he heard the robber say—

"One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize to-night,  
But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light;  
Yet, if they press me sharp-

Anne mind jerked instantly back to reality as her foot caught on the flip down shelf of one of the front row desks. She felt herself falling and then she stopped when she felt the strong arms on her own. She looked up into the dark brown eyes of the man that caught her and they widened. "Gil!" she exclaimed before wrapping him in a warm embrace, which he returned. "You always seem to be rescuing me from awkward situations."

"Well at least I don't have to rescue you from under any bridges this time. I hope you aren't giving these girls any ideas. Ms Shirley"

"Who me?"

"Who else? You did get into a few scrapes in your day. Falling of roofs, dying your hair, chasing Jersey cows. And I think there was a particular incident where you broke a slate over a boy's head."

"You had your share of mischief too. I still wonder where my dance card from the Christmas Ball."

"Well I am all grown up now. Don't you think I look like quite the young medical student Anne?"

"Oh you can't fool me you will always be the same old incorrigible Gil." They shared a playful smile.

"Well, Anne I just dropped by since, I am traveling thru Kingsport on my way back to the island. I just stopped by to see Ms Stacy, and she told me to say hello to you as well."

"Yes Ms Stacy is wonderful, and as vivacious as ever. She reminds me of those old school day picnics. She is what brought me to this town."

"How is Kingsport?"

"It's a lovely town. It has given me so many ideas for my writing. Although I have to admit I do miss Green Gables. There is nothing lovelier than Avonlea in the summer. Do you remember those afternoon walks?"

"How could I forget them? Why so homesick Anne? Private girls' school is to rough on you?" At this the whole room chuckled, reminding the two friends that they did have an audience and causing their meeting to come to a close.

"Well thanks for coming to see me Gil. It's so nice to see a familiar face."

"Yes it was nice to see you again." Gil said encircling Anne in his arms. "Goodbye Anne." And with that he released her and left. Anne stared at the spot just outside the door and whispered "Goodbye Gil." As she still felt the warmth of his embrace and the smell of his skin, a mix of sea salt and the lye soap he always used. This caused her to blush slightly and to hide her embarrassment she turned and walked to her desk. After sitting down for a moment she said "Alright class what in Noyes writing about in this poem." And with a sigh of deep disappointment that they were left to wonder about the strange visitor, the class returned to their study of "The Highwayman."


	2. The Bittersweet Meeting

Chapter 2: The Bittersweet Meeting

Jen Pringle stared out the lead glass window at the gravel drive and the frost covered lawn of Kingsport Ladies College and the trees that stood in the distance. She had just pushed the voice of her teacher in the background and began to day dream, when a coach rumbling down the gravel drive caught her eye. It stopped and a tall man with dark hair stepped out and rushed into the school building to escape the cold. Jen couldn't get a good look at him, but from what she saw she would not be bothered should he pay special attention to her. _His face is unfamiliar._ She thought. _He just can't be from Kingsport. He couldn't possibly me the man so often talked about in school gossip. I miss one day of school and the tryst of the century occurs. I thought teachers were boring who would have thought-_

"Jen Pringle" a somewhat familiar voice interrupted her thoughts, causing her to look a bit lost at her teacher. "Would you care to focus less on the great outdoors and more on Tennyson?" Ms Shirley asked.

"I'm sorry Ms Shirley." Jen said meekly as she turned back to her books.

Satisfied Anne turned and continued the lesson as she returned to the front of the class room "We'll continue on with reading the poem." Anne resumed reading out loud to the class a poem that was dear to her heart and carried many memories of her girlhood and old school days.

Willows whiten, aspens quiver,  
Little breezes dusk and shiver  
Through the wave that runs for ever  
By the island in the river  
Flowing down to Camelot.  
Four grey walls, and four grey towers,  
Overlook a space of flowers,  
And the silent isle imbowers  
The Lady of Shalott.

As Anne breathed the words, she spoke with in a dreamy tone and her eyes were looking not at the pages but into the past. She often transported her self into the world that she was reading about, but this time she was not looking at the towers of Camelot, but at the blue sky. She would know that shy anywhere, with the trees grabbing at its edges, and she could see the sky slowly moving, so that a cloud slowly passed from her feet over her head. She also heard the trickle of water in her surroundings.

Not only was Anne spellbound by the poem, but her students were as well, the batch of fourteen-year-olds were puzzled buy their teacher's glazed eyes and her faraway expression, she seemed to be a boat floating easily down a stream with out a rapid or ripple in its path. And that was where Anne was on a boat floating down the stream of her past.

There she weaves by night and day  
A magic web with colours gay.   
She has heard a whisper say,  
A curse is on her if she stay   
To look down to Camelot.  
She knows not what the curse may be,   
And so she weaveth steadily,  
And little other care hath she,   
The Lady of Shalott.

Anne stopped reading and there was an instant of tranquility in the room. But like a thin layer of ice it was soon broken.

"Well. Still playing the Lilly maid, I see." came the bemused observation.

The class looked with great astonishment at the one who voiced the observation. He was the man Jen Pringle had seen out of the window, and he was much more handsome then Jen had thought. He was slightly shorter than imagined, but only but an inch or two. He was good looking, but not in the sophisticated way of men in Kingsport, rather it was a rugged way groomed in the farms along the coast. He was not at all dashing, but had a sense of charm and adorability that came from the boy raised to have good manners and work hard.

Anne; however, was the most astonished of anyone in the room. She was frozen in place the book held limply in her hands, her mouth parted slightly and her eyes a little wider than usual. The shock was short-lived and after a moment she raced over to greet the man, throwing her arms around his neck and exclaiming "Gil!"

After feeling the embrace Gilbert Blythe wrapped his arms around her waist. After the short embrace, Anne pecked Gilbert on the cheek and stepped back to look at him. You know I can't resist Tennyson." Anne said replying to Gilbert's original observation. Then asking, "What brings you to Kingsport? You are the last person I expected to see today."

"I'm in town for the Royal Medical Conference as a delegate. I might even do my residency with Doctor Stewart here in Kingsport."

"Well you've been doing mighty well for yourself." Anne said as pride permeated her face.

"You aren't doing to bad either. Ms Stacy sent me a clipping about you play. Well it goes to show that you are unstoppable, Anne."

"Well don't speak to loudly yet." Anne paused slightly embarrassed and aware of the other eyes watching then for the first time since Gilbert had arrived. _Maybe I shouldn't have hugged Gil for so long. Good Heavens! I kissed him too. This is scandalous for a school teacher._ "How are things in Avonlea. Have you been back?"

At this question Gil looked down at his shoes. "Well…." He began with trepidation "I have been spending most of my time at school in Halifax, and I won't be headed back to the island for Christmas Holidays." Gilbert took a deep breath "You see I plan to spend most of my time with the Stewarts. Christine and I are engaged. We hope to get married next summer."

Gilbert could se a flash of surprise fallowed by pain in Anne's eyes, but it lasted an instant and was quickly covered. "Congratulations Gil." She said faking her joy and excitement for Gilbert and her class "I'm so happy for you."

"You see." Gil continued "That's why I wanted to see you so much. To apologize for being such an idiot at Diana's wedding last summer. You were right Anne."

The pain was written across both of their faces in that instant and Gilbert looked as if he had his heart ripped out. "I wish you the best of luck. Gil." Anne said starching and ironing her face back into position.

"You won't be lonely?" He asked

"I'll survive besides I have my old chum in town for a while." She joked but it was devoid of laughter. "If I ever get lonely I have my books and my writing to transport me anywhere."

"How is your writing coming Ms Rolling Reliable?"

"I haven't done much of it lately. I have been so busy I suppose."

"Well I always thought you should write about Avonlea. It was the only hometown we ever had, and I know only you could write about the Avonlea so dear to all of us. I plan to take Christine back to the island with me. The Stewarts want us to stay with them, but I don't want any hand outs, besides no other place would seem like home to me."

A silence fell over the room and suddenly they had said all there is to say. They just looked at each other another time, remembering days long past. Then Gilbert reached into his pocket and retrieved an envelope. He passed it to Anne saying "I was going to leave this for you, but it feels better to you in person."

Anne took the note and smiled genuinely for the first time since Gilbert had broke the news. She placed it on her desk to read later and turned back to Gil, in the same happy mood as when they were bantering just minutes earlier, because a veil had been lifted. She realized the one thing that Gilbert had given her, he may not know that she still had it, but he would figure it out in time.

The instant Gilbert saw the smile in her eyes and her vivaciousness he took a step between them and kissed her on the cheek. "Anne." Gilbert said looking down at her in much the same way as that day they stood on the hill overlooking Green Gables shortly after they had first become friends.

"Bye Gil" Anne said. They stood no more than a foot apart for a moment longer, and Gilbert tucked the stray wisp of hair behind Anne's ear, before turning and disappearing down the hallway as swiftly as he came.


End file.
